Mississippi State
11-11
North Carolina
15-9
Sherrod Notches First Career Win as Dawgs Defeat FSU, Split Saturday Twinbill
March 12, 2011 | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Senior Courtney Nesbit hit two home runs as part of a four-hit, four-RBI Saturday, and Shana Sherrod picked up her first career win as the Mississippi State softball team split two games at the SEC/ACC Challenge in Tuscaloosa. The Bulldogs rallied to defeat Florida State 8-7 in the nightcap after falling 12-4 to North Carolina in the day's opening game.
Saturday night's win against Florida State improved the Bulldogs to 12-11 on the season.
Nesbit went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run against the Seminoles after opening the day with a two-run blast in a 2-for-3 effort against North Carolina. The Acworth, Ga., native now has a team-leading seven home runs this season.
Nesbit's two-run blast against Florida State was one of three State hit in the game. Senior Ali Bainbridge hit her second of the year, a three-run shot, to cap a 2-for-5 offensive effort. Fellow senior Chelsea Raines hit her third home run and doubled as she collected three hits in the contest.
Sherrod, a Vestavia Hills, Ala., native, worked the final 3.1 innings in relief in Saturday night's back-and-forth affair, allowing a run and three hits while striking out one to earn the first decision of her young career.
"It was a really good win for our ball club. We had some big hits tonight with Ali Bainbridge, Chelsea Raines and Courtney Nesbit each coming up with some big home runs for us," MSU head coach Jay Miller, who picked up career victory No. 992, said. "Defensively, we hung in there and made some plays, and Shana did a tremendous job in the circle for us tonight. Kylie (Vry) and Misty (Flesher) struggled a little bit tonight, and Shana did a great job coming in off the bench and picking us up. Shelby Fisher had a big pinch-hit walk tonight. Everyone contributed tonight, and it resulted in a great team win."
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the opening inning of action. Bainbridge singled up the middle and took second on a Heidi Shape sacrifice bunt. Ka'ili Smith was hit by a pitch and Nesbit reached on a bouncer up the middle. Sam Lenahan brought Bainbridge home with her ground-out to shortstop.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Florida State scored on a throwing error, a Kristie McConn base hit and a Courtney Senas single to take a 3-1 advantage in the second.
The Dawgs answered right back, though, as Smith delivered a one-out single, and Nesbit took a pitch from FSU starter Morgan Bullock over the wall in left field to tie the game.
The Seminoles regained a 4-3 edge in the bottom of the third as Jen Lapicki hit a one-out, solo home run to right-center off Vry.
The Des Moines, Iowa, native allowed three runs and four hits over 1.2 innings. Flesher worked the opening two frames, surrendering three runs and five hits.
After State was unable to capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the top of the fourth, the Seminoles got back-to-back doubles to in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-3 lead.
The Dawgs responded in the top of the fifth, however, plating four runs to go up 7-6. Raines sparked the inning with a one-out double, and she moved to third as the throw to second bounced away.
Sophomore Jessica Cooley scored her with a base hit up the middle, and a walk to pinch-hitter Shelby Fisher brought Sarah Hamilton to the circle for FSU. Bainbridge promptly greeted the Seminole reliever, taking the first pitch deep over the wall in center field for a three-run home run that put the lead back in MSU's favor for good.
The Bulldogs extended the lead to 8-6 in the top of the sixth as Raines ripped a two-out home run over the center-field wall.
Florida State cut the Bulldogs' lead to 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth, but Sherrod avoided any further damage as she recorded a pair of infield pop-outs to end the inning.
Sherrod quickly got the first two outs of the seventh, and after a Bullock base hit, she retired Tiffani Brown on a pop-out to shortstop to end the game.
Hamilton was saddled with her second-straight defeat to MSU to fall to 5-9. She allowed two runs on three hits over the final 2.2 innings. Bullock tossed the game's opening 4.1 frames, surrendering six runs and nine hits.
In addition to Nesbit's home run, Smith collected two hits as the Bulldogs fell to North Carolina in the day's opening game.
Briana Bell and Cooley each drove in a run for Mississippi State in the setback.
State found itself in an early deficit as North Carolina opened the game with four first-inning runs. Haleigh Dickey hit a two-out, two-run home run that chased Bulldog starter Stephanie Becker.
Vry entered in relief and immediately issued a walk. After an error kept the inning alive, Logan Foulks cleared the bases with a double that put the Tar Heels in front 4-0.
Mississippi State tried to answer in the bottom of the first as Bainbridge was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Smith reached two batters later on a fly ball to left field that was lost in the sun, but the Dawgs were unable to get any runs across on UNC starter Lori Spingola.
Spingola improved to 12-7 as she allowed two runs and three hits while striking out eight in five innings.
Becker fell to 3-2 as she went 0.2 innings and was touched for two runs and a hit. Vry surrendered three runs (one earned) on five hits over 1.1 innings, while Lindsey Dunlap allowed five earned runs (seven total) and three hits while walking six in 1.2 innings.
Sherrod held the Tar Heels off the scoreboard over the final 1.1 innings, allowing one hit.
UNC extended the lead to 5-0 in the top of the second inning before breaking the game open with a seven-run fourth that was sparked by another two-run double from Foulks.
State kept fighting and scratched across a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth off UNC reliever Ashley Bone. Smith opened the inning with her second single of the afternoon, and Nesbit moved pinch-runner Jessica Offutt to second as she found a hole on the left side of the infield.
Lenahan reached on an error to load the bases, and Bell put the Dawgs on the scoreboard with a base hit to right that brought Spingola back to the circle.
State immediately hit into a double play, but Cooley punched a base hit to left that scored Lenahan with MSU's second run of the game.
The Dawgs plated their final two runs in the bottom of the fifth as Bainbridge drew a leadoff walk and came home on Nesbit's towering blast over the wall in left field.
The Bulldogs close the weekend with another game against North Carolina at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Mississippi State returns to SEC action Wednesday, venturing to Gainesville, Fla., for a doubleheader against No. 1/2 Florida. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT, and a free, live audio stream of the games will be available at www.mstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
North
Carolina 12, Mississippi State
4 (Mar 12, 2011 at Tuscaloosa,
Ala.)
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North Carolina...... 410 70 - 12 10 1 (15-9)
Mississippi State... 000 22 - 4 6 3 (11-11)
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Pitchers: North Carolina - Lori Spingola; Ashley Bone(6) and Ally Blake. Mississippi State -
Stephanie Becker; Kylie Vry(1); Lindsey Dunlap(3); Shana Sherrod(4) and Sam Lenahan.
Win-Lori Spingola(12-7) Loss-Stephanie Becker(3-2) T-1:35 A-0
HR NC - Haleigh Dickey.
HR MS - Courtney Nesbit.
A.Bone faced 4 batters in the 4th.
Mississippi State 8, Florida State
7 (Mar 12, 2011 at Tuscaloosa,
Ala.)
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Mississippi State... 102 041 0 - 8 12 2 (12-11)
Florida State....... 031 201 0 - 7 12 1 (12-12)
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Pitchers: Mississippi State - Misty Flesher; Kylie Vry(3); Shana Sherrod(4) and Sam Lenahan.
Florida State - Bullock, Morgan; Hamilton, Sarah(5) and Lapicki, Jen.
Win-Shana Sherrod(1-0) Loss-Hamilton, Sarah(5-9) T-2:05 A-380
HR MS - Ali Bainbridge; Courtney Nesbit; Chelsea Raines.
HR FS - Lapicki, Jen.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lori Spingola (12-7)
L: Becker, Stephanie (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Logan Foulks 2
HR: Haleigh Dickey 1
RBI: Elisha Elliott 1 ; Haleigh Dickey 3 ; Logan Foulks 5
SH: Tisha Mahon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kelli Wheeler 2 ; Ally Blake 1 ; Elisha Elliott 1 ; Haleigh Dickey 1 ; Brittany McKinney 2 ; Brittany Robinson 2 ; Logan Foulks 1 ; Jordan Scarboro 1 ; Amy Nece 1
CS: Kelli Wheeler 1 ; Tisha Mahon 1
Batting:
HR: Nesbit, Courtney 1
RBI: Nesbit, Courtney 2 ; Bell, Briana 1 ; Cooley, Jessica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bainbridge, Ali 1 ; Offutt, Jessica 1 ; Nesbit, Courtney 1 ; Lenahan, Sam 1
HBP: Bainbridge, Ali 1
